Big Ten Announces Start Times And Television Information For 2012-13 Men's Basketball
Park Ridge, Ill. – For the sixth consecutive year, every Big Ten men's basketball conference and tournament game will be nationally broadcast, the conference office announced today. The Big Ten's media agreements result in more than 100 games appearing on BTN, CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU during the 2012-13 conference season.
Big Ten men's basketball will typically reach live national television audiences on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday during the conference season. The Big Ten schedule will open on Monday, Dec. 31, as 2012 Big Ten Co-Champion and conference tournament winner Michigan State travels to Minnesota for a 2 p.m. ET tip, and preseason No. 1 Indiana heads to Iowa for a 4 p.m. ET start. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN2.
BTN will air its first action of the conference season on Wednesday, Jan. 2, as 2012 Final Four participant Ohio State welcomes Nebraska for a 6:30 p.m. ET tip, and Purdue hosts Illinois at 8:30 p.m. ET. Big Ten conference play first comes to CBS Sports on Sunday, Jan. 13, for a matchup between 2012 Big Ten Co-Champions Michigan and Ohio State that will tip at 1:30 or 4:30 p.m. ET.
During the conference season, the Big Ten will have one game on an ESPN network every Tuesday at 7 or 9 p.m. ET as part of the network's Super Tuesday lineup. A second game will often appear on BTN that night starting before or after the ESPN contest. Big Ten action continues on Wednesday evenings with BTN doubleheaders at 6:30 and 8:30 or at 7 and 9 p.m. ET as part of BTN Super Wednesdays. ESPN or ESPN2 will broadcast one game every Thursday night, with other games that evening carried by ESPNU or BTN. Up to six games every weekend during the conference slate will be broadcast by BTN, CBS Sports, ESPN and ESPN2. CBS Sports will air seven conference games, including wildcard selections on the final three weekends of the regular season.
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament will be held Thursday, March 14, through Sunday, March 17, at the United Center in Chicago. All 11 games will be broadcast nationally on BTN, CBS Sports, ESPN and ESPN2. BTN will carry the opening two games of the tournament, as well as two primetime contests on Friday. ESPN2 will broadcast Thursday's primetime matchups, while ESPN will air Friday's afternoon games. CBS Sports will carry Saturday's semifinals and Sunday's championship game.
